On
the final day of ABS-WG I, Chair
bin Osman opened the final Plenary, noting that the meeting’s report
would include three annexes on: the development of the draft Bonn
Guidelines; the development of action plan for capacity building; and the
role of IPR in implementation of ABS arrangements.

ENB
SUMMARY

Monday
29 Oct

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Above
photo L-R: SWG-I
Chair Ivars and Brendan Tobin (Peru), on behalf of SWG-II Chair Medaglia,
presented the results of their Sub-Working Groups for adoption, as
included in documents UNEP/CBD/WG-ABS/1/L.2-4. Delegates then adopted the
recommendations without significant comment.

The
German NGO Forum on Environment and Development, on behalf of a number of
NGOs, stressed, inter alia, that the guidelines should not be used
to facilitate access in countries without national ABS regulation; and the
ABS process should recognize indigenous rights to PIC. He also called upon
Parties to: prevent IPRs that might restrict access; support disclosure of
geographic origin in patent applications; develop community based measures
to protect traditional knowledge; and ensure the CBD’s objectives are
not subordinated to WTO and regional trade agreements.

The
IIFB underscored the recognition of the existence and rights of indigenous
peoples is the fundamental precondition for progress on ABS, and called
for capacity building among Parties to respect such rights with regard to
existing and emerging international agreements. The IIFB also provided
recommendations on self-determination, PIC, relations with other
international agreements, the CBD’s operations and ABS, while requesting
that the report of the Forum’s be appended to the meeting’s report.

Under
the agenda item on other matters, the Netherlands highlighted preparations
for COP-6 to be held in the Hague. Esko Jaakkola (Finland) (left) then
introduced the report of the meeting (UNEP/CBD/WG-ABS/1/L.1), which was
adopted with a minor change. The Plenary also decided to pay a tribute to
the government and people of Germany for hosting the meeting (UNEP/CBD/WG-ABS/1/L.5).

Gila Altmann, Parliamentary State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry
for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (left) thanked
all delegates, the Chairs and the Secretariat, and praised the spirit of
cooperation and readiness of compromise during negotiations.

Iran
on behalf of G-77/China, Slovenia on behalf of CEE, Togo on behalf of the
African Group, Belgium on behalf of the EU and Thailand on behalf of the
Asian countries gave closing statements. (photos L-R)

The
IIFB thanked the Secretariat and the Government of Germany for their
assistance. CBD Executive Secretary Hamdallah Zedan (left) welcomed
the accomplishment of the Bonn guidelines on ABS as a concrete measure to
make the third objective of the CBD a reality.

Ruben Olembo then officially closed the meeting at 1:45 pm

ENB ABS-WG I SNAPSHOTS:

BUNDESHAUS FIRE ALERT:

Shortly before the closure of the meeting,
the Bundeshaus was put on a fire alert after the cellar of the adjoining
building caught on fire. Below are snapshots of the incident.